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Tell your Senators to fix our broken pipes!

The $819 billion economic stimulus bill the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed, and which the Senate will soon begin debating, doesn’t contain enough money for water and sewer infrastructure projects. The U.S. Senate has cut by half the funding for water infrastructure, leaving not nearly enough to improve water quality and to ensure the integrity of water and sewer infrastructure in our nation, state or district.

Furthermore, a comprehensive, long-term solution to our water woes requires a federal trust fund to address Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the United States is falling short on water infrastructure spending by $22 billion a year. A trust fund would help communities keep their water clean, safe and affordable. Such investment also would create employment opportunities for many Americans and give our economy a much-needed boost.

We urge citizens to contact their senators and President Obama and ask them to increase the amount of money allotted to water and sewer infrastructure projects in the final version of the economic stimulus bill (H.R. 1 in the House of Representatives and S.1 in the Senate). More importantly, stress to them the importance of creating a federal trust fund to ensure safe and sound water and wastewater systems now and for future generations.

We urge Congress and the President to restore the full $11 billion for water infrastructure to the stimulus package. We also oppose the provision that private companies can access 50% of the grant money, which would take much-needed funds from struggling cities and towns. We need 1,000 letters delivered to Members of the Senate by Monday to protect your access to clean water and to promote job creation in your community.

Write to your Senators now. You will then be taken to the letter to President Obama – that action is just as important to take. Please take it and then invite others to take action to protect our water infrustructure.

November 20, 2009

Subject:

Dear Senator:

As your constituent and as defendant of my right to clean and affordable water and to functioning sewer systems, I ask that you restore the funds for the water infrastructure work that was reduced in the stimulus package.

Clean water and adequate sewage treatment is a common resource to which all people have an equal right.

Funds were cut by the House, leaving a woefully inadequate amount to fix our water pipes. Please take the following actions:

1. Funds for water infrastructure need to be fully restored. This funding, originally in the bill at $11 billion, has been cut in half. Once restored, the funds need to be placed in an infrastructure capital program.

2. The Senate needs to maintain the House provision ensuring that public money goes to public utilities. The House bill prevents private companies from accessing 50% of the grant money, which would otherwise be taken from struggling cities and towns. The Senate should accept the House language and add it to the Senate version.

3. In the long run, America needs a federal trust fund for water infrastructure. Proposed funding in the stimulus package will fall well short in the long term of what ultimately is needed to address our crumbling national water infrastructure.

What is needed for the long term is a federal trust fund with an independent funding source for water. Enabling legislation will soon be introduced in the House. Please support it.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

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